Body types and the Octathalon courses

Ok so we have 8 different courses in the Octathalon not
including the senior and junior courses.

Why? Because we realise that not everyone is built the same
and it would be a dull and boring world if we all were.

There are 3 different body types: The Ectomorph, The
Mesomorph and The Endomorph. We thought it a lot fairer for competitors to have
Octathalon courses better suited for their own body type.

This way, Ectomorphs can race other Ectomorphs, Endomorphs
against other Endomorphs and so on.

You might think 3 courses were enough, but you also get
combinations of body types.

Most people are a combination of 2 of the body types – The Ectomorph/Mesomorph
or Mesomorph/Endomorph, but you do get others.

We also wanted to make some courses that were really testing
for our top competitors and this was how we just ended up with the number we have.

One of the first things we ask you to do with the Octathalon
is to select an appropriate course for you. There is a good diagram on the
website that will help you decide (Click here).

The reason we ask you to choose a course is that the
training programs you do will all relate to weights, distances and repetitions
for that course. This makes the training programs much more relevant and
appropriate for individual.

Knowing your body type will help you choose an appropriate
course. Here are some guidelines:-

The Ectomorph is the slim guy or chick that has low levels
of muscle as well as body fat. They have trouble putting weight on and the
Octathalon course that would best suit this person would be the Ironman
Octathalon.

The Mesomorph is the muscular maiden and the guy that is the
best type for bodybuilding. They are naturally strong and can keep body fat
down. They do tend to gain fat more easily than Ectomorphs and the combination
of weight training and cardio works very well for this type of body. The Octathalon
Cup Course is a good choice for them to aim for.

The Endomorph is the curvy girl or the rounded stocky type
of guy. They have slow metabolisms and tend to gain fat very easily. They are
usually very strong especially in the upper legs and are in good at exercises
like the squat. The Sprint Octathalon course is a good course for these body
types to aspire to. This is a very tough course though and progression should
come via the Rock Octathalon and before that the Short course or the Club
Course.

The Ectomorph/Mesomorph combination is likely to be best
suited to the Ultra-Cup Octathalon course.

The Mesomorph/Endomorph combination is likely to likely to
do best at the Rock Octathalon course.

The Endomorph/Ectomorph is a rare combination and more
likely to be a mixture of all three body types. For these people the Club
course is an excellent place to start with a progression to either the Ultra
Club course, the Cup course or the Rock Course depending on the dominant body
type within them.

The good thing is it is your choice and everyone will be
able to do several courses and be competitive over more than one of them.

If you are not yet fit enough to do any of these courses,
you will find a progression towards them on the Octathalon courses diagram
(Click here).